Thousands of people watched a live stream of a puddle in England today

One can never quite predict what videos will become a viral hit - and unexpectedly the latest effort to draw thousands and thousands of viewers was... a live stream of a puddle.

Yes, a puddle. A modestly-sized, everyday puddle in the middle of a footpath in Newcastle, England.

The stream on Periscope - hosted by marketing agency Drummond Central - had around 20,000 viewers at its peak, and is still the top trending hashtag on Twitter.

The puddle was at the end of a path at Drummond, with hundreds of people trying to figure out different ways to cross it without getting soaked. Others acknowledged the camera, waving or making colourful gestures.

One brave soul brought along an inflatable lilo and a pair of swim shorts to frolick in the puddle for a while.

The stream finally ended shortly after 5 PM following six hours of dramatic action. The camera was picked up and brought outside the office for a close-up of the famed puddle before it cut to black.